orientn.adj.
/ˈɔːrɪənt/, /ˈɒrɪənt/, U.S. /ˈɔriənt/ A. n.† 3. The rising of the sun; daybreak, dawn. Also figurative. Obsolete.† 5. = pearl of orient n. at sense A. 1b. Obsolete.
1. † b. pearl of orient n. (also pearl of the orient) a pearl from the seas around India, as distinguished from those of less beauty found in European mussels; (hence, more generally) a brilliant or precious pearl. Obsolete.
a. Usually with the. That part of the world situated to the east of a particular point; eastern countries, or the eastern part of a country; the East. Cf. Occident n.Originally used with reference to countries lying immediately to the east of the Mediterranean or Southern Europe (i.e. east of the Roman Empire); now usually understood to mean East Asia, or occasionally Europe or the Eastern hemisphere, as opposed to North America.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > direction > cardinal points > East > [noun] > part or place
eastdealeOE
east halfeOE
eastlandOE
eastdalec1175
estrichea1200
East-countryc1325
east sidec1325
orientc1375
eastc1390
easta1475
c1375 G. Chaucer Monk's Tale 3504 They conquered manye regnes grete In thorient.
c1400 (?c1380) Pearl 3 Perle, plesaunte..Oute of oryent I hardyly saye, Ne proued I neuer her precios pere.
?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 44 (MED) It [sc. the plague] biganne forsoþ in þe orient, i. este, And so shetyng þe worlde yt passed by ows toward þe occident.
c1475 tr. C. de Pisan Livre du Corps de Policie (Cambr.) (1977) 77 (MED) Pompee..conquerid allmoste all the parties in the Orient.
a1500 (?a1400) Morte Arthur (1903) 2057 A full Ryche Aparaylmente..That wroght was in the oryente.
1554 D. Lindsay Dialog Experience & Courteour 2793 in Wks. (1931) I. 283 Boith Occident and Orient War all tyll hym obedient.
a1600 ( W. Stewart tr. H. Boece Bk. Cron. Scotl. (1858) II. 296 Tua Saxone kingis of the Orient Of Ingland.
a1613 E. Brerewood Enq. Langs. & Relig. (1614) i. 7 The dioces of the Orient..contained Syria, Palestine, Cilicia, and part of Mesopotamia and of Arabia.
1642 R. Cudworth Disc. Lords Supper ii. 30 Another sect..famous in the Orient.
1858 A. H. Clough Amours de Voyage in Atlantic Monthly May 786 Sicily, Greece, will invite, and the Orient.
1864 J. R. Lowell Fireside Trav. 40 Annual voyages to that vague Orient known as Down East.
1890 Cent. Mag. 103/1 He was sent as consul to the Orient.
1952 A. Bevan In Place of Fear iii. 40 We witness the awakening of the Orient under the impact of Western ideas.
1987 R. Thom Buying from N.Z.: Food & Drink 9/2 A fruit with at least a thousand years of tradition in the Orient, the persimmon is highly prized in Japan for its golden colour, perfect shape and nutritional value.
2001 Times 7 Mar. ii. 3/5 In Gandharan heads, the realism of Classical Western sculpture met the voluptuous mysticism of the orient.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > gem or precious stone > pearl > [noun] > varieties of
unioOE
pearl of orientc1400
seed pearl1551
powdering pearls1606
pear pearl1647
Welsh pearl1681
peara1685
union1694
akoya1727
river pearl1776
orient1833
bouton pearl1851
blister pearl1885
Bombay pearl1885
teardrop pearl1904
cultured pearl1911
culture pearl1921
c1400 (?c1380) Pearl 82 (MED) Þe grauayl þat on grounde con grynde Wern precious perlez of oryente.
c1440 Sir Degrevant (Thornton) (1949) 666 (MED) A frountell endent With perle of þe Oryent.
a1540 (c1460) G. Hay tr. Bk. King Alexander 1868 Ane perle of orient hang at euerie male.
1700 W. Congreve Way of World i. i. 14 As dim by thee as a dead Whiting's Eye, by a Pearl of Orient.
1741 S. Boyse in G. Ogle Canterbury Tales xlix. 226 The Ruby rich, the Diamond's mimick Star, Or the unblemish'd Pearl of orient Worth.
2. That part of the heavens in which the sun and other celestial objects rise; the corresponding point of the compass, or the region of the earth lying in the direction of this; the east. Usually with the. Chiefly poetic.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the universe > sky, heavens > [noun] > region, zone > east
orientc1385
the world > the earth > direction > cardinal points > East > [noun]
eastwardeOE
eastc1175
sunrisinga1382
orientc1385
sun-springa1400
eastwarda1450
eastwards?1574
sunristc1600
rising sun1613
aurora1617
morn1647
moonrise1728
morning-land1838
dawning1879
c1385 G. Chaucer Knight's Tale 1494 Firy Phebus riseth vp so brighte That al the orient laugheth of the lighte.
a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) v. 3590 (MED) He scholde make his sacrifise..on knes doun bent Thre sithes toward orient.
c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) ii. 5801 (MED) Wlcanus..forgiþ on his blak stith..þe levenys þat whilom be viseble In-to þe west, oute of þe orient.
1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende 387 b/1 The sonne mone sterres and planettes..moeue fro thoryent to thoccidente.
1517 S. Hawes Pastime of Pleasure (1928) xxviii. 133 Seynge the cloudes rayed fayre and rede Of Phebus rysynge in the oryent.
1578 T. Nicholas tr. F. Lopez de Gómara Pleasant Hist. Conquest W. India 349 The Mexicans..sawe flames of fire toward the Orient, where now Vera Cruz standeth.
1609 W. Shakespeare Sonnets vii. sig. B2 Loe in the Orient when the gracious light, Lifts vp his burning head.
1696 S. Jeake, Jr. in S. Jeake Λογιστικηλογία sig. b2 The mildest Dodecatemorie springs In beauteous Orient.
1725 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey II. viii. 2 All the ruddy Orient flames with day.
1847 Ld. Tennyson Princess iii. 47 Morn..Came furrowing all the orient into gold.
1976 R. Atkins Correspondent's War Diary in Here in The 43 He sat between the orient and eternal.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > day and night > day or daytime > dawn > [noun]
aristc825
dawingc900
dayeOE
day-rimOE
day-redOE
mornOE
lightOE
lightingOE
dawning1297
day-rowa1300
grekinga1300
uprista1300
dayninga1325
uprisingc1330
sun arisingc1350
springc1380
springingc1380
day-springa1382
morrowingc1384
dayingc1400
daylighta1425
upspring1471
aurora1483
sky1515
orienta1522
breaking of the day1523
daybreak1530
day-peep1530
morrow dayc1530
peep of the morning1530
prick of the day?1533
morning1535
day-breaking1565
creek1567
sunup1572
breach of the day1579
break of day or morn1584
peep of day1587
uprise1594
dawna1616
day-dawn1616
peep of dawn1751
strike of day1790
skreigh1802
sunbreak1822
day-daw1823
screech1829
dayclean1835
sun dawn1835
first light1838
morning-red1843
piccaninny sun1846
piccaninny daylightc1860
gloaming1873
glooming1877
sparrow-fart1886
crack1887
sun-spring1900
piccaninny dawn1936
a1522 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid (1957) v. xii. 135 And the fers Orient [L. saevus..Oriens] wil at I withdraw—I feil the ayndyng of hys horssys blaw.
1582 Bible (Rheims) Luke i. 78 In which the Orient from on high hath visited vs.
a1649 W. Drummond Hist. James II in Wks. (1711) 37 His Life having set in the Orient of his Age and Hopes.
1651 C. Cartwright Certamen Religiosum i. 28 In whose light the people should walke, and kings in the brightnesse of her Orient.
1842 E. B. Barrett in Athenæum 4 June 498/1 From the orient of the sun.
1863 J. M. Neale Mediæval Hymns (ed. 2) 172 Draw nigh, Thou Orient, Who shalt cheer And comfort by Thine Advent here.
4. The colour or special lustre of a pearl of the best quality.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > gem or precious stone > pearl > [noun] > quality or colour
orient1605
1605 J. Rosier True Relation Voy. G. Waymouth sig. B2v In one muscell..was found foureteene Pearles, whereof one of prety bignesse and orient.
1755 Gentleman's Mag. Jan. 32/1 Orient, the fine naker or mother of pearle colour, which is seen on some shells.
1861 Templebar Mag. 3 391 The British pearls are from the mussel, not the oyster; as are also the Bohemian, which are likewise deficient in brilliancy and ‘orient’.
1927 R. A. Freeman Magic Casket i. 19 The great value of this necklace was due not only to the size, the perfect shape and ‘orient’ of the separate pearls, but to the fact that the whole set was perfectly matched.
1986 G. Clark Symbols of Excellence (BNC) 6 Each one owes its status to physical attributes... Pearls [attract] by their orient.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > gem or precious stone > pearl > [noun] > varieties of
unioOE
pearl of orientc1400
seed pearl1551
powdering pearls1606
pear pearl1647
Welsh pearl1681
peara1685
union1694
akoya1727
river pearl1776
orient1833
bouton pearl1851
blister pearl1885
Bombay pearl1885
teardrop pearl1904
cultured pearl1911
culture pearl1921
1833 T. Carlyle Sartor Resartus in Fraser's Mag. Nov. 583/1 A very Sea of Thought..wherein the toughest pearl-diver may dive..and return not only with sea-wreck but with true orients.
1840 R. Browning Sordello iii. 258 What spoils an orient like some speck Of genuine white, turning its own white grey?
1891 O. Wilde Picture of Dorian Gray xi. 204 Henry II..had a hawk-glove sewn with twelve rubies and fifty-two great orients.
B. adj.† 2. poetic. Situated in or belonging to the east; eastern, oriental; facing east. Obsolete.
1. † b. gen. Brilliant, radiant, resplendent. Chiefly poetic and literary. Obsolete.Occasionally with allusion to the sun. Cf. sense A. 3.
a. Of a pearl or other precious stone, originally one coming from the East: of superior value and brilliancy, lustrous, precious. Also figurative. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > light > reflection > [adjective] > lustrous or shining with reflected light
browna1000
brightOE
cleara1300
slighta1300
burnedc1384
burnishedc1400
orientc1400
orientalc1450
sheeningc1480
refulgenta1500
silken1513
lustrantc1550
glossy1556
crisp1567
lustring1582
shiny1590
of shine1601
glossful1606
lustry1610
lustrousa1616
nitent1616
illustriousa1626
polished1649
lustrious1651
sheeny1673
shining1674
splendy1683
glazy1724
smolt1837
lustreful1843
lustred1858
sheened1920
the world > matter > light > reflection > [adjective] > lustrous or shining with reflected light > of or like precious stones, metals, or fabrics
whiteOE
orientc1400
steel-brighta1560
metalline1596
sparry1792
metallic1794
orichalceous1826
society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > gem or precious stone > [adjective] > quality
noblea1393
femalea1398
malea1398
orientc1400
fine-cut1598
of the old (also new) rock1598
watered1624
occidental1747
semi-precious1905
c1400 (?c1380) Pearl 255 (MED) That juel, þenne, in gemmez gente..Set on hyr coroun of perle orient.
?a1425 Mandeville's Trav. (Egerton) (1889) 97 Precious stanes, grete and orient.
c1470 tr. R. D'Argenteuil's French Bible (Cleveland) (1977) 86 (MED) And about that ther was a full riche counterpoint of cloth of gold..with lettris Ebraicis writen in the bordure of the orfreys with grete and orient perlis.
c1500 (?a1475) Assembly of Gods (1896) 308 (MED) On her hede a crowne ther stood Cowchyd with perles oryent, fyne and good.
1555 R. Eden tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde i. viii. f. 39v Many of these perles were as bygge as hasell nuttes, and oriente, (as we caule it) that is, lyke vnto them of the Easte partes.
1611 J. Speed Hist. Great Brit. v. i. 156/1 These Pearles, though not altogether so orient as they in India.
a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) Cornw. 198 It is possible, that the Cornish Diamonds..may be pure and orient.
1713 E. Young Force of Relig. (1757) ii. 62 When orient gems around her temples blazed.
1778 E. M. da Costa Hist. Nat. Testaceorum Brit. 155 The Oyster..Within the valves are smooth, white, and generally of a pearly glare, which oftentimes is very radiant or orient.
1819 W. Scott Ivanhoe II. x. 167 These pearls are orient, but they yield in whiteness to your teeth.
1862 J. Tyndall Mountaineering in 1861 ii. 12 The grass..was sown with orient pearls [i.e. dewdrops].
1902 R. Wilton Lyra Pastoralis Orient gems no more arrest Her eyes now fixed upon that Omen dread.
ΚΠ
a1439 J. Lydgate Fall of Princes (Bodl. 263) i. 576 (MED) In Paradis..Thre ryuers wern..orient and fyne.
a1475 J. Russell Bk. Nurture (Harl. 4011) in Babees Bk. (2002) i. 168 The thrid course... Perche in Iely, oryent & clere, whelkes, menuse; þus we devise.
a1500 in R. L. Greene Early Eng. Carols (1977) 71 (MED) A ryghth fayer sterre to them dede peere, Ful orient in hys shynyng.
a1530 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfeccyon (1531) iii. f. Clxxxiiiv Whyte set by blacke, appereth more oryent whyte, than yf it stode by it selfe.
a1600 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie (1648) viii. sig. Xv To make the countenance of truth more orient.
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost i. 546 Ten thousand Banners..With Orient Colours waving. View more context for this quotation
1703 W. Burkitt Expos. Notes New Test. John, Postscr. The several Graces and Virtues which were so Orient in the Life of Christ.
1881 D. G. Rossetti House of Life Introd. Sonnet Its flowering crest impearled and orient.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > direction > cardinal points > East > [adjective]
eastereOE
easteOE
eastwardeOE
easterlyOE
eastenlOE
easterna1398
orientalc1425
orient?c1450
Levant1601
easternly?a1606
eastwardlya1613
Levantine1649
Eoan1820
eastwards1838
?c1450 tr. Bk. Knight of La Tour Landry (1906) 122 The quene [of] Saba..came from the parties orientys.
a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 260 It micht haue cuming out of all ayrtis: Fra Paris and the orient partis.
?1591 R. Bruce Serm. Sacrament iii. sig. H6 The Latine and Orient Kirks.
1645 J. Milton On Christ's Nativity: Hymn xxvi, in Poems 12 When the Sun..Pillows his chin upon an Orient wave.
1817 S. T. Coleridge Zapolya iv. iii. 127 A richer dowry Than orient kings can give!
a1822 P. B. Shelley Triumph of Life in Posthumous Poems (1824) 87 The bright omnipresence Of morning through the orient cavern flowed.
1827–44 N. P. Willis Ermengarde 38 The Danube..seeks an orient sea!
1878 H. Rice Sel. Poems 35 Go tread the templed hills of Orient clime.
3.
a. Of the sun, daylight, etc.: rising. Also figurative. Chiefly poetic.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > upward movement > [adjective] > moving upwards
uprisinga1300
risingc1450
ascensial?1504
mountant1525
mounting1550
orienta1560
ascendant1591
surgenta1592
stying1593
ambitiousc1595
arising1605
ascensive1646
subliming1666
ascending1667
ascensional1753
upmounting1794
rearing1816
upcoming1835
aspirant1845
insurrectionary1864
upgoing1896
a1560 Arundel MS 274/4 The blisfull orient sone, With ioy is partit fra the subtell nycht.
1598 B. Yong tr. J. de Montemayor Diana 99 Behold a Nymph more faire then orient sunne.
1646 J. Cooke Vindic. Professors Law 32 That spirit of Reformation which I see orient in that court.
a1678 A. Marvell Misc. Poems (1681) 80 Our Orient Breaths perfumed are With insense of incessant Pray'r.
1728 A. Pope Dunciad iii. 66 Far Eastward..from whence the Sun And orient Science at a birth begun.
1822 P. B. Shelley Hellas 15 The Orient moon of Islam.
1834 T. Carlyle Sartor Resartus ii. v. 52/2 A many-tinted, radiant Aurora,..this fairest of Orient Light-bringers.
1928 H. S. Davies Coll. Poems (2000) The orient sun through morning mist.
b. Of the colour of the dawn; bright red. Now only in Orient red.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > named colours > red or redness > [adjective] > bright red or scarlet
scarletc1386
puniceousa1398
vermeilc1400
corala1522
Punic?1553
orient1578
vermilion1589
wax-red1593
cherry-red1594
Punical1606
coralline?1608
scarleted1641
coccineous1654
cinnabrianc1668
poppy-coloured1677
miniaceous1688
phoeniceous1688
cherry-coloured1695
coral-red1700
cardinal1755
cherried1762
ponceau1774
punicean1786
cinnabar1807
geraniumed1819
miniatous1826
cardinal scarlet1828
vermilion-coloured1835–6
geranium-coloured1836
pink1846
cardinal red1850
lobster-red1856
phoenicean1857
magenta1877
angered1878
scarlet-vermilion1882
tomato1889
camellia-red1890
miniate1891
nasturtium-red1896
sealing-wax1912
1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball ii. ix. 158 The floures [of rose campion]..be of an excellent shining or orient redde.
1650 T. Fuller Pisgah-sight of Palestine iv. vi. 99 A shrub, whose red berries, or grains, gave an orient tincture to cloth.
1952 Life 17 Nov. 128 (caption) The Pagoda set..in ebony black, jade green, or Orient red colors, with four golden ash trays.
1995 N.Y. Amsterdam News (Nexis) 15 July 17 Pink, butter and ivory are highlighted in a pastel spectrum. Orient red, expresso brown and midnight navy represent another group.
Compounds
Orient Express n. a luxurious train, popularly associated with espionage and intrigue, which ran (from 1883 to 1977) between Paris and Istanbul and other Balkan cities; a successor to this train, following (part of) its original route.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > [adjective] > of the nature of spying
cloak and dagger1841
Orient Express1883
spooky1975
the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > cunning > [adjective] > in contrivance or machination > concerned with intrigue
Orient Express1883
society > travel > rail travel > rolling stock > [noun] > train > passenger train > express or non-stop > specific
Flying Dutchman1813
Scotsman1871
Flying Scotchman1872
Orient Express1883
Twentieth Century1902
Royal Scot1927
Rheingold1928
Red Arrow1934
trans-Siberian1939
TEE1963
1883 Times 2 Nov. 10/1 A small folded card,..the back giving the timetable of the journey up to Constantinople,..and the front, under the heading ‘Orient Express’, the direction ‘M.—is requested to take his seat, in carriage—, bed No.—’.
1904 A. E. Housman Let. 23 Sept. (1971) 75 I can pay the sum they ask, but I very much object to, as Constantinople and the Orient Express are both pretty expensive.
1925 C. Connolly Let. May in Romantic Friendship (1975) 81 I was thinking of..vanishing on the orient express.
1965 Observer 16 May 9/1 Amateurish-sounding Orient Express techniques..are widely used... Master agent Lonsdale passed messages via drawing pins stuck..in a Lyons Corner House.
1977 Daily Tel. 2 May 6 (advt.) Thursday, 19th May, 1977, will mark the death of a legend... On that day..The Orient Express..will begin its final run... On 22nd May the great train comes to rest in Istanbul's Sirkeci Station.
1989 Holiday Which? Jan. 42/1 You can still take the Orient Express route from London as far as Istanbul, if you're rich enough.
2003 Daily Mail (Nexis) 1 Nov. 56 From mid-March, skiers can go from London to Austria on the Orient Express.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
orientv.
/ˈɔːrɪənt/, /ˈɒrɪənt/, U.S. /ˈɔriənt/ 1.
a. transitive. To place or arrange (a thing or a person) so as to face the east; spec. (a) to build (a church) with the longer axis running due east and west, and the chancel or chief altar at the eastern end; (b) to bury (a person) with the feet towards the east.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > direction > direct [verb (transitive)] > face a direction > cause to face a direction > cause to face east
orient1728
orientate1848
orientize1881
1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Oriental In most Religions, particular Care has been taken to have their Temples oriented. St. Gregory Thaumaturgus is said to have made a Mountain give way, because it prevented the orienting of a Church he was building.
1884 Science 11 Apr. 469/2 The coffins were of plank or stone, and were not oriented.
1896 Classical Rev. Feb. 22/1 The primitive Aryan in taking his bearings literally oriented himself and turned to the east.
1993 J. E. Taylor Christians & Holy Places 236 The basilica is, like other Byzantine churches, oriented to the east.
b. transitive. By extension: to position or align (a structure, etc.) with, or in a particular way relative to, the points of the compass, or other specified points; (also occasionally) to determine the bearings or relative position of. Also with to, toward, with.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > direction > cardinal points > [verb]
orient1842
the world > space > direction > direct [verb (transitive)] > face a direction > cause to face a direction
obvert1583
orient1842
orientate1880
reorient1975
1842 W. T. Brande Dict. Sci., Lit. & Art 857/2 In surveying, to orient a plan signifies to mark its situation or bearing with respect to the four cardinal points.
1866 Boys' Wonder Bk. 34 To tell him if she saw the Pole-star directly opposite the end of it, so that he might orient his stake.
1882 R. A. Proctor in Knowledge No. 13. 266 We are certain that the builders of the Pyramid wanted to orient it very carefully.
1896 Science 3 July 11/2 We are now at a loss to orient the several parts of the cranium.
1910 Encycl. Brit. I. 80/2 The temple..is oriented to the east so that the rays of the sun in the early morning penetrate the whole length of two great halls to the innermost sanctuary.
1926 C. E. Mulford Cassidy's Protégé xiii. 170 Hesitating for a moment while he oriented the report, he started toward the edge of the hill-top.
1965 Orienteering (‘Know the Game’ Series) 31 Once a map has been ‘set’ or oriented an orienteer should be aware of his position at all times by relating the map to the ground over which he is moving.
1991 Green Mag. Guide to Home 1 13/2 Orient living spaces to be sun-facing.
c. intransitive. To turn towards a specified point or direction. Usually with to. Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > direction > point or lie in a direction [verb (intransitive)] > turn round or to face a direction
turnc1330
convertc1384
to bear one's (also the, a) face (also head)c1400
beturn1594
swerve1607
face1623
orientate1848
to front about1886
orient1896
1896 Classical Rev. Feb. 23/1 The primitive Aryan undoubtedly oriented east.
1965 J. D. Carthy Behaviour of Arthropods vii. 102 Hoppers are an excellent example of insects which ‘straighten-out’ their behaviour actively by orienting to the sun.
1987 Times 19 Aug. 2/7 The alternative is orienting to a Labour victory through pushing back the Alliance.
1995 Appl. Linguistics 16 228 A stronger case could be made that he was indeed negatively orienting to her gender identity.
2. transitive. figurative. To bring into a defined relationship with known facts, circumstances, etc.; to give orientation or bearings to. Frequently reflexive: to put oneself in the right position or relation; to ascertain one's bearings, become familiar with one's situation. Also: to give a specific direction or tendency to (chiefly with to, toward(s)).
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > relationship > relate or orient oneself to something [verb (reflexive)]
orientalize1823
orient1850
relate1856
the world > space > direction > direct [verb (reflexive)] > get one's bearings
east1836
orient1850
the world > relative properties > relationship > relate to [verb (transitive)] > bring into defined relations
orient1850
intersphere1887
situate1921
the world > relative properties > order > agreement, harmony, or congruity > adaptation or adjustment > adapt or adjust [verb (transitive)] > in accordance with what is known
orient1850
orientate1866
the world > relative properties > order > agreement, harmony, or congruity > adaptation or adjustment > adapt or adjust [verb (reflexive)] > to what is known
orient1850
the world > existence and causation > existence > state or condition > tendency > tend or incline [verb (transitive)] > tend, lead, or conduce to
forwenda1325
tend1560
sway1570
affect1612
to trench on or upon1622
apta1640
predeterminea1667
to go far to1668
to run into ——1753
orient1952
tilt1976
1850 T. Parker Let. 9 Sept. in Life H. Mann (1865) 325 It seems to me you might, in this way, orient yourself before the public.
1864 E. Sargent Peculiar I. 141 He tried to orient his conscience as to his duty under the extraordinary circumstances in which he found himself.
1867 O. W. Holmes Guardian Angel (1891) xxix. 338 Mistress Kitty accepted Mrs. Hopkins's hospitable offer, and presently began orienting herself, and getting ready to make herself agreeable.
1940 W. Faulkner Hamlet 223 So he held himself still.., trying to orient himself by looking back up the slope, to establish whether he was above or below the tree, to the right or left of it.
1952 G. Sarton Hist. Sci. I. xxii. 579 The orator's art consist[s] in shaping and orienting the passions of the people who listen to him.
1972 Sci. Amer. Dec. 6/2 The program is oriented toward the long-range goal of providing small power sources, automobiles included, with nonpolluting synthetic fuels.
1980 P. Oquist in D. J. Whittaker Terrorism Reader (2002) xii. 171 ‘Irrational violence’ is physical aggression that is not oriented towards a goal.
1991 L. Murray New Oxf. Bk. Austral. Verse (new ed.) Foreword p. xxiii Useful as this may be in orienting non-Aboriginal and non-tribal readers, I believed that the texts could and should stand alone.
1993 Professional Builder & Remodeler Jan. 111/1 Decorating is a singular art, oriented to aesthetics.
2002 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 24 Oct. 50/4 A labyrinth is created in which the reader seeks to orient himself.
3. Chemistry.
a. intransitive. Of a substituent in a ring: to direct atoms and groups to a specified (meta, ortho, or para) position in the ring when they enter it as further substituents. Cf. earlier orientate v. 3a.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > chemistry > isomerism > undergo isomerism [verb (intransitive)] > undergo orientation
orientate1876
orient1921
1921 Science 8 July 38/2 In the aromatic series, in the case of carboxylic acids which do not lose carbon dioxide readily, the mercury usually orients ortho to the carboxyl group.
1949 J. English & H. G. Cassidy Princ. Org. Chem. vi. 106 Why should one group orient predominantly ortho and para, and another predominantly meta?
1971 J. D. Roberts et al. Org. Chem. xx. 573 Halogen substituents..strongly orient ortho and para through conjugation of the unshared electron pairs.
b. transitive. To ascertain the relative positions of the substituents in (a ring or a cyclic compound). Cf. earlier orientate v. 3b.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > chemistry > isomerism > subject to isomerism [verb (transitive)] > subject to orientation > ascertain relative position in
orientate1924
orient1941
1941 F. E. Ray Org. Chem. xv. 375 To prove the structure (orient the ring) of an unknown di-substituted compound.
1958 J. Read & F. D. Gunstone Text-bk. Org. Chem. xxiv. 419 After sound methods of orienting substituted benzenes had been devised it became possible to study more satisfactorily the substitution reactions concerned.
4. transitive. Mathematics. To assign a direction to (a curve, the sides of a geometrical figure, etc.).
ΚΠ
1949 S. Lefschetz Introd. Topol. ii. 76 Orientability implies that the triangles of K may be ‘oriented’ (in an intuitive sense) so that adjacent triangles always have their orientations disposed as in Fig. 37.
1972 M. Kline Math. Thought l. 1167 An orientable surface is one that can be triangulated and each (curvilinear) triangle can be oriented so that any side common to two triangles has opposite orientations induced on it.
5. transitive. To cause the molecules of (a plastic or other material) to align so that their axes are parallel.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > chemistry > isomerism > subject to isomerism [verb (transitive)] > subject to orientation
orient1958
1958 W. D. Paist Cellulosics xi. 252 Considerable enhancement of the physical properties of many resin films has been realized on biaxially orienting the formed film.
1969 W. R. R. Park Plastics Film Technol. ii. 26 Virtually any thermoplastic material can be oriented.
1990 Y. Doi Microbial Polyesters vi. 102 Because P(3HB) is a polyester, one may expect that it could be drawn and oriented into a strong fiber.
Derivatives
ˈorienting n. and adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > direction > [noun] > aspect or direction faced > fact of facing a direction > placing so as to > so as to face east
orienting1728
orientation1849
the world > matter > chemistry > isomerism > [adjective] > of or relating to structural isomerism > of or relating to position isomerism > specifically of orientation
orientating1876
orienting1924
the world > space > direction > [adjective] > direction-finding
orienting1962
the world > space > direction > [noun] > finding direction
orientation1883
self-orientation1886
direction-finding1913
orienting1977
1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Oriental St. Gregory Thaumaturgus is said to have made a Mountain give way, because it prevented the orienting of a Church he was building.
1924 Jrnl. Chem. Soc. 125 1377 (heading) The orienting influence of the thiocyano-group in aromatic compounds.
1937 F. C. Whitmore Org. Chem. iii. 723 Benzotrichloride and other meta orienting compounds.
1962 F. I. Ordway et al. Basic Astronautics iv. 159 (caption) Magnetic field measuring devices carried by Soviet Sputniks, showing orienting apparatus.
1977 ‘A. Stuart’ Snap Judgement 167 I did some orienting..by looking out of the [helicopter] window.
1992 Nature 3 Dec. 463/1 The results..are consistent with models of subcortical control of visual orienting in normal newborns.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.c1375
v.1728- as fit as a fiddle
- as fit as a flea
- assigner
- assigners
- assigning
- assignment
- assignments
- assignor
- assignors
- assigns
- assilag
- assimilabilities
- assimilability
- assimilable
- assimilado
- assimilant
- assimilate
- assimilated
- assimilateness
- assimilates
- assimilating
- assimilation
- assimilationism
- assimilationisms
- assimilationist